Lawn sprinklers



March 31, 1970 G LOCKWQOD ET AL 3,503,555

LAWN SPRINKLERS Filed sept'. 2o, 19e? 2 sheets-sheet 1 FI 3) Fl G 'I M65/Z0 Humm. .mmmum .K

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INVENTORaS ge H.Lockwood F. O e

Wi iam @.Musch'ett United States Patent O 3,503,555 LAWN SPRINKLERS George H. Lockwood, 2125 NE. 27th Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33305, and William Gordon Muschett, 6163 Rolling Road Drive, Miami, Fla.

Filed Sept. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 669,231 Int. Cl. Bb 15/10 U.S. Cl. 239-204 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lawn sprinkler of the disappearing type having a cup-shaped shell fitted into the ground and closed at the top by a disk carried by the sprinkler head. When the sprinkler head rises it raises the disk which gravitationally lowers upon the cessation of water under pressure. The sprinkler head is carried by a slidable piston having a twopoint contact of spaced O-rings with seats on a bushing mounted in a cylinder in which the piston is axially, but non-rotatively moved. The disk is mounted on a cap fitted on a spindle that is threadably anchored.

It is an object of the invention to provide in a sprinkler of the character described, means by which the parts of the sprinkler can be stabilized so that undesirable vibration of the sprinkler during its operation will be eliminated; to also provide a simple and convenient mounting means for the closure disk and to generally improve the structure and operation of the device.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, we have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a sprinkler constructed in accordance with the invention and shown in its opera tive position;

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the cylinder, which parts in section, and the piston that is operative therein;

FIG. 3 shows the piston head;

FIG. 4 is a view, with parts in section, of the spindle and associated parts;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the spindle with a portion of the cap shown in section; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional View, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The type of lawn sprinkler to which the present invention relates is that which is sometimes referred to as the disappearing type since the sprinkler head, when not in its operative position, descends into a housing that is sunken into the lawn.

As shown, the sprinkler head includes a cup-shaped housing or shell generally indicated at 1 and which is sunken into the ground with its upper or open end defined by the rim 2, at substantially ground level.

At 3 is shown a disk-shaped closure member carried by the sprinkler head 4. In the raised position of the sprinkler head 4 and the closure disk 3 carried thereby, and which position is shown in FIG. 1, the sprinkler head is elevated above the earth and above the level defined by the rim 2 of the shell.

The sprinkler head 4 is generally of known construction and includes a yoke 5 provided with a threaded tubular shank 6 having an angularly disposed outlet 7 terminating in a nozzle 8. The nozzle 8 directs the stream of water against an oscillating deflector or knocker 9 3,503,555 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 ICC that is spring-biased in one direction by means of a torsional spring shown at 10.

Extending upwardly in the center of the housing or shell 1 is a cylinder or piston chamber 11 which receives a coupling sleeve 12 that extends downwardly from the lower end of the cylinder 11 and is provided with a hexagonal terminal 13 that connects to piping 14 that extends from a source of water under pressure.

The upper end of the cylinder 11 receives a threaded bushing 15 through which a tubular piston 16 is axially slidable. The piston 16 includes a shank portion 17 that is provided with diametrically opposite splines 18 which slide in notches 19 (FIG. 6) and hold the shank portion against rotative movement while permitting it to slide longitudinally through the bushing 15.

At one end, the shank portion 17 of the piston 16 is internally threaded, as shown at 20, to receive the end of the part 6 of the sprinkler head so that upon the up and down movement of the piston, the spray head and the disk 3 carried thereby, will be raised or lowered. At its opposite end, the piston is provided with an enlarged head 21 which is tubular and is formed with spaced-apart annular grooves 22, each of which receives an O-ring 23.

In the elevated position of the piston, as shown in FIG. 2, the O-rings engage against seats 24 and 25 provided in the bushing 15 thus establishing a seal and at the same time stabilizing the piston and holding it against lateral displacement. The clearance between the base of the bushing 15 and the shank 17 of the piston is sufficiently large to permit dirt or other foreign solids in the water to pass through and be discharged during the times of raising and lowering. The seal formed as described by the two O-rings is adequately resilient to function properly without being damaged even during such occasion when sand particles may be trapped at the point of sealing.

The elements 11, 12 and 16, connected as described, and being of tubular formation, provide a continuous passage or conduit through them and through which the water under pressure is conducted to the head 4. It will be apparent that when the water flows through the conduit that is established as above described, the water pressure inside of the piston chamber 11 will elevate the piston 16 and the sprinkler head 4 carried thereby and will maintain the head in an elevated position, as shown ,in FIG. l, as long as the water ilow continues. Upon cessation of the water ow the piston will gravitationally descend and the disk 3 will thereupon close the top of the shell 1.

Irrigation heads of the type shown at 4 are made with varying performance characteristics in order to fulll specific requirements. For this reason it is desirable that the disk 3 be easily attached to any head so that the desired head -may be readily installed in the elevating unit. Since many heads are used on fixed stationary stand pipes, all heads are customarily manufactured with a straight, unthreaded spindle through the yoke 5 and upon which the deiiector 9 rotates. At the time that a specic head is selected for use in the elevating unit, the straight unthreaded spindle can be removed and can be replaced by the spindle 34. Spindle 34 is secured in place by means of the self-tapping thread 33. Assembly is accomplished by using a wrench applied to `cap 26, said cap being lirst screwed onto the spindle 34 by means of threads 30 and 37. After spindle 34 is screwed securely in place, the cap 26 can be removed and disk 3 then attached to the head by replacing the cap 26 as shown in FIG. 4.

The described structure is such that the head is held in a rigid position by the two O-ring seals during operation yet elevating and retracting motion is not adversely 3 affected by sand or foreign matter in the water. Any of several different types of heads can be easily installed with the use of only simple hand tools.

What is claimed is:

1. A sprinkler comprising, a cup-shaped shell for below ground installation, a piston chamber vertically disposed in the shell, a piston slidably mounted in the chamber, a head on one end of the piston, a bushing threaded into one end of the piston chamber and having spaced annular seats, the piston having spaced annular grooves, resilient rings disposed in said grooves for contacting with the seats on the bushing only when the piston is in a raised position, the piston carrying a sprinkler head at its end remote from the head, a spindle anchored in the sprinkler head by means of a self-tapping screw thread and extending above the top of the same, a cap threaded upon the part of the spindle that is located above the sprinkler head, and a closure disk carried on the cap.

2. In a sprinkler, a shell lcontaining a vertically-arranged piston chamber, a piston carrying a sprinkler head and arranged for sliding movement in the piston chamber, closure means at one end of the piston chamber and through which a part of the piston is movable, the piston 'being hollow to form a water passage and having a hollow head entering the closure means at the end of the stroke of the piston, the closure means having a pair of spaced-apart seating surfaces, and the piston head carrying a pair of spaced-apart sealing rings which simultaneously contact with and seat against the respective seating surfaces at the end of the stroke of the piston, the sealing rings carried by the piston head being disposed to be free from contact with wall surfaces of the piston chamber during elevating and lowering movements of the piston, the yclosure means being a bushing threaded into one end of the piston chamber, and the spaced seating surfaces for the Sealing rings being formed on said bushmg.

3. In a sprinkler, a shell containing a vertically-arranged piston chamber, a piston carrying a sprinkler head and arranged for sliding movement in the piston chamber, closure means at one end of the piston charnber and through which a part of the piston is movable, the piston being hollow to form a water passage and having a hollow head entering the closure means at the end of the stroke of the piston, the closure means having a pair of spaced-apart seating surfaces, the piston head earring a pair of spaced-apart sealing rings which simultaneously contact with and seat against the respective seating surfaces at the end of the stroke of the piston, the piston chamber 4being a tube centrally situated in the shell, the piston being a tubular element provided with the head at one end and carrying a sprinkler head at its opposite end, the piston head being provided with spaced annular grooves, the sealing rings being O-rings fitted in said grooves, a bushing fitted in one end of the piston chamber and constituting the closure means therefor, the bushing having spaced seats against which the O-rings simultaneously abut when the piston is in a raised position, the O-rings being free from contact with wall surfaces of the piston chamber during raising and lowering movements of the piston and seating against the spaced seating surfaces only when the piston is in a raised position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 894,898 8/1908 Owen 239--204 3,331,292 7/1967 Seablom l239-204 2,607,624 8/ 1952 Lippert Z39-204 3,268,173 8/1966 Costa 239-206 3,334,817 8/1967 Miller et al. 239-206 3,383,047 5/1968 Hauser Z39-206 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner 

